Vikings and Dragons Watch HTTYD
by Sop12345d
Summary: What the title says. I bring the villagers of Berk and the dragons to a movie theater and make them watch How To Train Your Dragon. Occurs just after Stoick bangs his hammer on the Dragon Training Arena bars and the Nightmare goes nuts. A Watching the Movie fanfic. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

Hiccup hoisted a shield onto his forearm and selected his weapon from the rack - a small dagger.

Stoick muttered, "Hmph. I would've gone for the hammer."

Hiccup turned to face a bolted, heavy door, took a deep breath and said, "I'm ready."

The door bolt is raised. The crowd grew quiet... then suddenly, the doors blasted open with a stream of sticky fire, followed by the Monstrous Nightmare, coated in flames. It tore out of its cave like an irate bull as the crowd roared and jeered. It climbed the walls and chain enclosure like a bat, hissing at the provoking crowd and blasting fire.

It spotted Hiccup and descended, leering and licking the flaming drool from its lips. The crowd grew silent, bracing for the big fight. With the Monstrous Nightmare's eyes locked upon him, Hiccup deliberately dropped his shield and dagger stepping away from them. The dragon paused, confused.

Stoick was also confused. "What is he doing?" he asked. The dragon pressed closer, snorting. Hiccup extended his open hand and it snarled menacingly.

Hiccup whispered softly, "It's okay. It's okay." The dragon continued to pace, focused on his helmet. Hiccup realized this and reached up and removed it. He took a breath to acknowledge the point of no return, then he tossed his helmet aside. It hit the ground. "I'm not one of them." he continued.

There were gasps and murmurs throughout the crowd. All eyes turned to Stoick, looking for direction. He was getting angry. Hiccup avoided his father's glare and remained focused on the Nightmare, holding his hand out. It paced around him, calming down. Stoick started to stand up and ordered, "Stop the fight."

Hiccup responded, "No. I need you all to see this." The crowd was getting restless. Hiccup continued, "They're not what we think they are. We don't have to kill them."

Stoick yelled with fury, "I SAID STOP THE FIGHT!" and hit the bars of the Dragon Training Arena with his hammer, hard. As soon as the hammer hit the bar, a bright white light momentarily blinded every Viking present. When the light cleared, everyone was confused to find themselves in a very odd room indeed.

The room was about the size of the Great Hall with stairs going up the middle of it. There were rows upon rows of red chairs made from a smooth fabric on both sides of the stairs and there was a very big, flat surface at the front of the room. Bright lamps lined the walls.

Hiccup had found himself hidden in the shadows at the back of the room. He decided to stay there and just see what happened. Obviously, this was not Berk.

Meanwhile, the villagers were in chaos. People were yelling and panicking and demanding the Chief what was going on and just generally freaking out.

"EVERYONE, CALM DOWN!" shouted Stoick. Everyone instantly quieted at their Chief's booming voice.

"Well, glad to see that everyone isn't panicking anymore," said a female disembodied voice.

Hiccup, Stoick and the rest of the villagers jumped and looked around for the mysterious voice. "Who are you?" asked Stoick bravely. "Show yourself! Why have you brought us here?"

"I am of no consequence." The voice seemed to be coming from the ceiling. "And I will not be showing myself. However, I have brought you here to watch some moving pictures called a movie. This movie is called How To Train Your Dragon." At these words, Hiccup paled. Whoever she was knew about Toothless!

"Sorry, how to train your _what? _Dragons can't be trained!" Snotlout announced obnoxiously.

"I think otherwise," the voice said calmly. "Now I'm going to bring in some other guests to watch the movie. You will be civil to them, or there will be consequences. As a precaution, I'm removing your weapons." And with that, everyone's hammer, axe, sword, staff and any other weapon disappeared.

Vikings were calling out in panicked voices, wondering where their weapons had gone. Stoick asked angrily, "What is the meaning of this?"

"If you don't hurt them, they won't hurt you," said the voice. Suddenly, a large door at the back of the room opened and _dragons_ walked in. All the Vikings moved as one and pressed themselves on the opposite wall, leaving Hiccup standing alone, not 10 feet from the nearest dragon, a Deadly Nadder.

"HICCUP! GET OVER HERE!" yelled Stoick. With reluctance, Hiccup turned and sat down in the front row. _Please just get this over with, _he thought. Hiccup knew that as soon as his father saw how he'd befriended Toothless, he'd explode. Speaking of Toothless, where was he? Hiccup turned back to the dragons, who were gathered together tightly at the back room, avoiding the Vikings. There, in the middle of the crowd! Hiccup caught Toothless' eye and motioned for him to stay put. Toothless crooned, but stayed where he was. The last thing Hiccup needed was for his dad to kill his best friend.

Finally, after a few minutes, the rest of the Vikings settled down around Hiccup, ignoring the dragons. The dragons did the same for the Vikings. Hiccup was pleased to find Astrid sitting next to him. And with that, the movie began.


	2. Chapter 2

**NORTH SEA/VILLAGE - NIGHT**  
><strong>We skim above a dark, wild ocean. The camera turns toward a lone island, Berk. It is a gigantic shard of rock jutting straight out of the water.<strong>

**HICCUP (V.O.)**  
><em><strong>This, is Berk. It's twelve days North of hopeless, and a few degrees South of freezing to death.<strong>_  
><em><strong>It's located solidly on the meridian of misery.<strong>_  
><strong>The camera drifts over rolling hills to reveal a small village nestled on an outcropping of sea mounts.<strong>

Everyone chuckled at Hiccup's description of their home while Stoick thought, "Does he really hate it that much?"

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
><em><strong>My village. In a word, sturdy.<strong>_  
><em><strong>And it's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new.<strong>_  
><strong>The camera drifts closer, circling.<strong>

"Gee, I wonder why," said Snotlout sarcastically. Astrid just told him to shut up. Not surprisingly, he did.

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D)**  
><strong>We have fishing, hunting, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. You see, most places have mice or mosquitos. We have...<strong>  
><strong>Sheep graze peacefully on a hillside. Suddenly one is snatched.<strong>

**CUT TO:**  
><strong>INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS<strong>  
><strong>A door is pulled open... as a DRAGON swoops directly toward it, BLASTING FIRE. The door is SLAMMED. The fire shoots through the slats of wood, illuminating HICCUP, a gangly teenage Viking.<strong>

**HICCUP _...dragons._**

**EXT. STOICK'S HOUSE**  
><strong>He reopens the sizzling door, as leaps off of the front porch. He weaves through the erupting mayhem as Vikings pour out of the buildings, ready for a fight.<strong>

**HICCUP (V.O.) **

_** Most people would leave. Not us. We're Vikings. We have stubbornness issues. **_

**Vikings sound the alarm. Viking men and women pour out into the streets, axes in hand. **

**ON HICCUP darting through alleys, staying under eaves, making his way through the battle. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) _My name's Hiccup. Great name, I know. But it's not the worst. Parents believe a hideous name will frighten off gnomes and trolls. Like our charming Viking demeanour wouldn't do that._ **

Stoick was thinking, "Does he not like his name?"

**Dragons sweep back and forth, dodging axes and blasting the Vikings who throw them. A burly warrior gets tossed in an explosion, knocking Hiccup to the ground. **

** VIKING (FIERCE) _Arggghhhhh!_ (cheery, insane) _Mornin'!_ **

The particular Viking pictured blushed while his friends laughed. "I was in the middle of some mead!" he protested.

**Hiccup gets to his feet and continues to rush past gigantic men and women. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) _Meet the neighbours. Hoark the Haggard..._ **

** HOARK _What are you doing out!?_ **

** HICCUP _... Burnthair the Broad..._ **

**BURNTHAIR _Get inside!_ **

** HICCUP ._.. Phlegma the Fierce..._ **

** PHLEGMA _Get back inside!_ **

"Kind of can't-the house is on fire, in case you haven't noticed," commented Hiccup sarcastically. The villagers were shocked. Hiccup was always quiet and shy; never bitter and sarcastic. Had they drove him to be this way?

**HICCUP _... Ack._ **

**He passes a silent ox of a viking, picking his ear. **

**HICCUP (CONT'D) _Yep, just Ack._ **

**Enter STOICK, the biggest Viking of all. He yanks Hiccup from the path of a dragon and holds aloft to the crowd. **

** STOICK _Hiccup!?_ (accusingly; to the crowd) _What is he doing out again?!_ (TO HICCUP) _What are you doing out?! Get inside!_ **

Stoick was bewildered. Did he really sound that harsh? He looked to his son and saw him cringe away at the past scolding. At the gesture, something in Stoick's chest tightened.

**The flames light up his scowling face and matted red beard. He sets Hiccup down and turns to the sky, searching. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) (IN AWE) _That's Stoick the Vast. Chief of the tribe. They say that when he was a baby he popped a dragon's head clean off of its shoulders. Do I believe it?_ **

**Stoick grabs a wooden cart and hurls it, knocking the strafing dragon out of the sky. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) _Yes I do._**

Hiccup winced at his past self. Had he really been impressed by such a horrific act of violence?

**An EXPLOSION forces Vikings to DUCK. Stoick stands firm, brushing flaming debris off of his shoulder. **

** STOICK (barking; to his men) _What have we got?_ **

** VIKING #1 _Gronkles. Nadders. Zipplebacks. Oh, and Hoark saw a Monstrous Nightmare._ **

** STOICK _Any Night Furies?_ **

** VIKING #1 _None so far._ **

**STOICK (RELIEVED) _Good._ **

In the back of the room, Toothless' head popped up, pleased. He made the ferocious Viking leader afraid!

** VIKING _Hoist the torches!_ **

**Massive flaming braziers are raised on poles, lighting up the night sky... and revealing swirling dragons of all types. **

**Below, Hiccup crosses an open plaza and ducks into an open building with a tall chimney. **

** INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS He crosses behind a counter, where a peg-legged, one-armed hulk of a Blacksmith ****reshapes blades with a hammer and tongs appendage.**

** GOBBER _Ah! Nice of you to join the party. I thought you'd been carried off._ **

Gobber cheered at his on-screen appearance while Stoick stewed in silence. His friend and Hiccup had such an easy-going relationship, unlike his relationship with his son, which was awkward and stiff.

**Hiccup dons a leather apron and starts to put away Gobber's scattered appendages. **

** HICCUP _Who me? Nah, come on! I'm way too muscular for their taste. They wouldn't know what to do with all this._ **

**Hiccup strikes a bodybuilder pose.**

Immediately, the whole room burst into laughter, including the dragons. They tried to control themselves, but the sight of puny Hiccup flexing his non-existent muscles was just too much. Finally, everyone managed to settle down, while Hiccup tried and failed not to blush. He realized now that he had done plenty of silly things while alone with people he could trust and now they would be shown for the whole village to see... That thought made the young Viking sink lower in his seat as the scene continued.

** GOBBER _They need toothpicks, don't they?_ **

Hiccup huffed, annoyed at the name, even if it came from Gobber. Gobber just chuckled while Stoick looked on with amazement at the bond between the two.

**Hiccup gets to work, transferring bent and chipped weapons to the forge as Vikings crowd the counter for replacements. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) _The meathead with attitude and interchangeable hands is Gobber. I've been his apprentice ever since I was little. Well...littler._**

"Who're you calling meathead?" asked Gobber challengingly.

"You," Hiccup responded simply with a grin. Gobber grinned back and the rest of the teens couldn't help but feel smiles tugging at the corners of their mouths at the playful banter between blacksmith and apprentice.

**EXT. VILLAGE - CONTINUOUS ON STOICK**

** STOICK _We move to the lower defences. We'll counter-attack with the catapults._ **

**Armed men rush past, flanking others who carry sheep to safety. Stoick follows up the rear as, overhead, a dragon strafes the rooftops with Napalm-like fire. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) _See? Old village. Lots and lots of new houses._ **

The Vikings chuckled at Hiccup's dry humour. He was funny!

** VIKING _FIRE!_ **

** In response, the fire brigade charges through the plaza - four TEENS, tugging a large wooden cask on wheels. From it, they fill buckets of water to douse the flames. One among them is an attractive Viking girl. Hiccup leans out of the stall to watch her. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) _Oh and that's Fishlegs, Snotlout. The twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. And..._ (DREAMY) _Astrid._**

**A SLOW-MOTION explosion erupts behind her, framing her in a sexy ball of fire. The others join her, looking awesome and heroic.**

Here Snotlout, the twins and Fishlegs cheered, yelling about how awesome they looked. But Astrid was more preoccupied with how Hiccup was watching them, and more specifically, her. She glanced at him out of he corner of her eye and saw him blushing furiously but remaining silent. She smiled and turned back to the movie.

** HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) _Their job is so much cooler._ **

**Hiccup tries to join them as they pass, but he's hooked by Gobber and hoisted back inside. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) (PLEADING) _Ah, come on. Let me out, please. I need to make my mark._ **

** GOBBER _Oh, you've made plenty of marks. All in the wrong places._ **

The villagers laughed and cringed at Gobber's remark. They all knew about Hiccup's many failed inventions and their often disastrous consequences.

** HICCUP _Please, two minutes. I'll kill a dragon. My life will get infinitely better. I might even get a date._ **

Snotlout and the twins burst out laughing. "When Useless gets a date, I'll fly!" Snotlout proclaimed, not knowing the truth behind his words. Hiccup and Astrid smirked.

** GOBBER _You can't lift a hammer. You can't swing an axe..._ Gobber grabs a bola (iron balls connected by rope). **

**GOBBER (CONT'D) _... you can't even throw one of these._ **

**A Viking runs by and nabs it out of Gobber's hand, hurling it at a dive-bombing Gronkle. The bola binds its legs, sending it into a heavy crash.**

Said Gronkle winced, watching the screen. He had barely managed to get out, but that had hurt!

**HICCUP (ready with the answer) _Okay fine, but..._ **

**He rushes to the back corner of the stall and presents a bizarre, wheel barrow-like contraption. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _... this will throw it for me._ **

**Hiccup OPENS the hinged lid of the device. An arm springs up, equipped with twin bows. They prematurely launch a bola, narrowly missing Gobber... and taking out a Viking at the counter. **

** VIKING _Arggh!_ **

The same Viking pictured cringed while his friends laughed at him.

** GOBBER _See, now this right here is what I'm talking about._ **

** HICCUP _Mild calibration issue._ **

** GOBBER _Hiccup. If you ever want to get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all..._ **

**Gobber gestures in Hiccup's general direction. **

** GOBBER (CONT'D) _... this._ **

** HICCUP (ASTONISHED) _But... you just pointed to all of me._ **

** GOBBER _Yes! That's it! Stop being all of you._ **

Everyone stared at Gobber with disbelief. "What?" Gobber asked.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and answered, "That's not exactly the best advice to give somebody, Gobber."

Gobber just shrugged good-naturedly and turned back to watch the screen. Everyone else followed his lead.

**HICCUP (THREATENING) _Ohhhh..._ **

** GOBBER (MIMICKING) _Ohhhhh, yes._ **

** HICCUP _You, sir, are playing a dangerous game. Keeping this much, raw...Vikingness contained._ (BEAT) _There will be consequences!_ **

**Gobber tosses him a sword. **

** GOBBER _I'll take my chances. Sword. Sharpen. Now._ **

**Hiccup takes it begrudgingly and lobs it onto the grinding wheel. He stews... fantasizing...**

The teens stared at the screen, shocked. _Hiccup can actually lift a weapon? _they thought_. _Hiccup noticed their surprise and said smugly, "Of course I can lift weapons; I've been Gobber's apprentice since I was five years old!"

** HICCUP (V.O.) _One day I'll get out there. Because killing a dragon is everything around here._ **

**EXT. VILLAGE - LOWER PLAINS - CONTINUOUS Nadders land, gathering like seagulls around a seemingly vacant house. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) _A Nadder head is sure to get me at least noticed._ **

The Deadly Nadders in the back of the room lifted their heads and squawked self-importantly.

**The Nadders clamber onto the building, tearing the roof and walls apart. Sheep pour out and SCATTER. Elsewhere, hippo-like Gronckles pick drying racks clean of fish and fly off like loaded pelicans. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) _Gronckles are tough. Taking down one of those would definitely get me a girlfriend._ **

The Gronkles grunted happily at seeing themselves on screen_._

**A stealthy, snake-like dragon head peeks over a rooftop, breathing gas into a chimney. **

**HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) _A Zippelback? Exotic, exciting. Two heads, twice the status._ **

The Hideous Zipplebacks hissed with pleasure at their description.

**A second head pokes through the door and lights it. KABLAM! The two heads fly through the explosion, their necks zipping together to reveal a single body. It flies past Stoick as he climbs to the top of a CATAPULT TOWER. **

** CATAPULT OPERATOR _They found the sheep!_ **

** STOICK (FRUSTRATED) _Concentrate fire over the lower bank!_ **

** CATAPULT OPERATOR _Fire!_ **

**Boulders are catapulted at the corralling Nadders... Just as a huge red dragon whips past, spraying the base of the catapult with sticky fire. **

**HICCUP (V.O.) _And then there's the Monstrous Nightmare. Only the best Vikings go after those. They have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire._ **

The Monstrous Nightmares raised their heads in the air cackled triumphantly. They were the best!

**It emerges from the flames, climbing the catapult with a leering, toothy grin. **

** STOICK _Reload! I'll take care of this._ Stoick takes on the Nightmare, face to hammer. Suddenly, a LOUD BALLISTIC MOANING streaks overhead. The catapult crew ducks.**

Instinctively, the villagers ducked at the too-familiar moaning sound that was the only warning they got before the mysterious Night Fury struck. However, Hiccup just turned in his seat and searched the back of the room for Toothless. Toothless emerged from the crowd and crooned impatiently. He wanted to be with his rider! But Hiccup shook his head almost imperceptibly and held up a hand to reinforce the command of "stay". Toothless grumbled, but remained where he was.

** INT. BLACKSMITH STALL - CONTINUOUS ON HICCUP, looking up from his work, reacting to the same sound. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) _But the ultimate prize is the dragon no one has ever seen. We call it the-_ **

**VIKING _Night Fury! Get down!_ **

**Vikings everywhere take shelter. The moaning sound BUILDS. **

** EXT. VILLAGE - CATAPULT - CONTINUOUS The Monstrous Nightmare suddenly stops fighting and takes flight. Stoick looks skyward. **

**STOICK _JUMP!_ **

** KABOOM! The Catapult EXPLODES as though hit by an artillery shell... sending Stoick and the crew leaping for their lives. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) _This thing never steals food, never shows itself, and..._ The sound recedes, leaving the crippled catapult in flames. **

** HICCUP (V.O.) (CONT'D) ._..never misses._ (BEAT) _No one has ever killed a Night Fury. That's why I'm going to be the first._ **

Snotlout laughed obnoxiously. "You?!" he exclaimed to his cousin. "Ha! Like that'd ever happen!" Little did he know...

** IN THE STALL Gobber trades his hammer for an axe. **

** GOBBER _Man the fort, Hiccup, they need me out there!_ **

**G****obber pauses. Turns with a threatening glare. **

** GOBBER (CONT'D) _Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean._ Gobber charges into the fray, HOLLERING. **

**ON HICCUP, a smirk crosses his face.**

"That just went in one ear and out the other, didn't it, Hiccup?" Gobber asked, exasperated.

"Yup," came the the cheerful reply.

** EXT. VILLAGE - MOMENTS LATER WHAM! Hiccup pushes his wheeled contraption through a wall of clustered Vikings. He weaves through the ongoing mayhem, as fast as his legs can carry him. **

**VIKING #6 (O.S.) _Hiccup, where are you going!_ **

** VIKING #7 _Come back here!_ **

Again, all of the villagers (except Stoick, who was more preoccupied with the disaster Hiccup had caused that night) felt guilt at how harsh and mean they sounded.

** HICCUP _I know. Be right back!_ **

** ON THE PLAIN BELOW The Nadders have cornered the house-full of sheep. They close in, ready to spring upon them. Stoick suddenly appears, HURLING FISHING NETS over them. The surprised Nadders are caught. Stoick and his men rush in. A Nadder blasts a hole through its net. Stoick leaps onto it, clamping his thick arms around its head, forcing its jaws shut. **

** STOICK _Mind yourselves! The devils still have some juice in them._ **

Hiccup, Astrid and the dragons growled at the word "devils" but didn't say anything.

** ON THE PLAIN ABOVE Hiccup reaches a cliff overlooking the smoking CATAPULT and drops the handles to the ground. He cranks several levers, unfolding and then cocking the bowed arms of his contraption. He drops a bola onto a chamber and then pivots the weapon on a gimbal head toward the dark sky. He listens, with his eye pressed to the scope, hand poised on the trigger. He hears the NIGHT FURY approaching... and turns his aim to the defense tower. It closes in for the final strike, completely camouflaged in the night. **

** HICCUP (TO HIMSELF) _Come on. Give me something to shoot at, give me something to shoot at._ **

Hiccup cringed, remembering how he had brutally shot down his best friend that night. Astrid held his hand and squeezed it, trying to comfort him. It worked; Hiccup smiled gratefully at her.

**KABLAM! The tower topples. The blast of fire illuminates the dragon for a split second. Hiccup pulls the trigger. KERTHUNK! The flexed arms SNAP forward, springing the weapon off the ground. The bola disappears into the sky, followed by a WHACK and a SCREECH.**

Dead silence. You could've heard a blade of grass drop.

Then, as if to make up for the deafening silence, the room erupted in cheers, hoots and hollers. "THAT'S MY SON!" yelled Stoick proudly to the crowd. If possible, Hiccup sank further down into his chair. His father may be ecstatic now, but he'd be livid in a few minutes when he saw that Hiccup had spared Toothless. The cheering went on for a few minutes until finally, everyone quieted down, wanting to see the dead Night Fury.

**HICCUP (CONT'D) (surprised, then elated) _Oh I hit it! Yes, I hit it! Did anybody see that?_ **

**Hiccup's victory is short-lived. A Monstrous Nightmare appears, slithering up over the lip of the cliff. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _Except for you._ **

Several Vikings chuckled nervously. Even faced by death, Hiccup had a great, if not dry, sense of humour.

**ON STOICK, holding down the netted Nadders. He hears a familiar HOLLER and looks up to see... HICCUP running through the PLAZA, SCREAMING, with the NIGHTMARE fast on his heels. Alarmed, Stoick abandons the Nadders and runs off. **

** STOICK (to his men, re: the NADDERS) _DO NOT let them escape!_ **

** IN THE PLAZA Vikings scatter as Hiccup dodges a near fatal blast. The Nightmare's sticky, Napalm-like fire splashes up onto buildings, setting them alight. Hiccup ducks behind the last standing brazier - the only shelter available. The Nightmare blasts it, spraying fire all around him. Hiccup peers around the smoldering post. No sign of the Nightmare. He turns back to find it leering at him, blocking his escape. It takes a deep breath. Hiccup is finished. Suddenly, Stoick LEAPS between them, tackling the Nightmare to the ground. They tumble and wrestle, resuming their earlier fight. The Nightmare tries to toast him, but only coughs up smoke. **

** STOICK (CONT'D) _You're all out._ **

**He smashes the Nightmare repeatedly in the face, driving it away. It takes to the air and disappears. Winded, Stoick turns to Hiccup.**

Hiccup winced at the talking-to he'd receive (or technically, _had_ received) from his father following his latest "disaster".

** HICCUP (V.O.) _Oh, and there's one more thing you need to know..._ **

**The burnt brazier pole collapses, sending the massive iron basket crashing. It bounces down the hill, destroying as it goes and scattering the Vikings who were holding down the netted Nadders. The freed dragons escape... with several sheep in tow. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _Sorry, dad._ **

** EXT. VILLAGE - UPPER PLAZA - CONTINUOUS The escaped Nadders fly past with sheep in their clutches. The raid is over. The dragons have clearly won. The murmuring crowd eyes Stoick, awaiting his response. **

** HICCUP (SHEEPISH) _Okay, but I hit a Night Fury._ **

**Stoick grabs Hiccup by the back scruff of his collar and hauls him away, fuming with embarrassment.**

Stoick watched the screen, embarrassed, but not because of his failure of a son; because he knew now that he'd been wrong to assume that his son had been lying. Hiccup's indignant remark of "Honestly, when have I _ever_ lied to you?" made him feel even more awful and even a little guilty.

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _It's not like the last few times, Dad. I mean I really actually hit it. You guys were busy and I had a very clear shot. It went down, just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there, before it-_ **

** STOICK _-STOP! Just...stop._ **

**He releases Hiccup. Everyone goes silent, staring expectantly.**

** STOICK (CONT'D) _Every time you step outside, disaster follows. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter's almost here and I have an entire village to feed!_ **

Gobber gave his friend a pointed look and Stoick looked away, not wanting to confront how mean he sounded when speaking to his own son. Meanwhile, Hiccup was smirking, knowing what came next.

**Hiccup looks around. All eyes are upon him. **

** HICCUP _Between you and me, the village could do with a little less feeding, don't ya think?_ A few rotund Vikings stir self-consciously.**

The teens and a few Vikings laughed while some of the more heavy villagers glanced down at themselves self-consciously, just like the movie.

**STOICK _This isn't a joke, Hiccup!_ (EXASPERATED) _Why can't you follow the simplest orders?_ **

** HICCUP _I can't stop myself. I see a dragon and I have to just... kill it, you know? It's who I am, Dad._ **

"No, I'm not!" muttered Hiccup stubbornly. He thought he'd been too quiet for anyone else to hear, but apparently not, as Stoick, Gobber and all of the teens except for Astrid stared at him curiously.

** STOICK _You are many things, Hiccup. But a dragon killer is not one of them._ **

**Sting. Hiccup looks around to see many nods of agreement. **

** STOICK (CONT'D) _Get back to the house._ (TO GOBBER) _Make sure he gets there. I have his mess to clean up._ **

Hiccup lowered his head at his father's hurtful remark, even he'd heard it before. Meanwhile, Stoick lowered his head as well, but for an altogether different reason; he was ashamed. He was ashamed of how badly he had treated his son in the past, ever since Valka had died. Aside from his recently odd affection towards dragons, Hiccup had never done anything to deserve the treatment Stoick had given him. And now he realized that the village treated Hiccup the same way because he, the Chief, treated him that way. They were following his example. He was a bad example for his own village! Stoick vowed to himself that he'd somehow make amends with his son.

**Stoick lumbers off in the opposite direction. Gobber leads Hiccup through the walk of shame. They pass the teen fire brigade as they snicker. **

**TUFFNUT _Quite the performance._ **

** SNOTLOUT _I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!_ **

** HICCUP _Thank you, thank you. I was trying, so..._ **

The teens all winced a little, feeling guilty now that they saw how they had bullied Hiccup mercilessly.

**Hiccup avoids Astrid's glare and heads up toward a large house, standing prominently on the hill above the others. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _I really did hit one._ **

** GOBBER _Sure, Hiccup._ **

** HICCUP _He never listens._ **

** GOBBER _Well, it runs in the family._ **

**HICCUP _And when he does, it's always with this... disappointed scowl. Like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich._ (MIMICKING STOICK) _Excuse me, barmaid. I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms. Extra guts and glory on the side. This here. This is a talking fish bone._ **

Yet again, Stoick felt that immense feeling of guilt and shame. Did his own son really think that he thought that way? _Did_ he think of his son as a talking fish bone? Yes he did, Stoick realized with a heavy sigh.

** GOBBER _You're thinking about this all wrong. It's not so much what you look like. It's what's inside that he can't stand._ **

All eyes turned abruptly to Gobber with incredulity at his insensitive words. Hiccup said drily, "Thanks for that comforting pep talk, Gobber." Everyone shook their head and continued watching the screen.

**Beat. **

** HICCUP _Thank you, for summing that up._ They reach the doorway. **

** GOBBER _Look, the point is, stop trying so hard to be something you're not._ **

**Hiccup SIGHS heavily. **

** HICCUP _I just want to be one of you guys._ **

Everyone felt immediately bad about themselves. They had made Hiccup the odd man out, the loner, the Outcast in his own home, all for being born different, they realized. Well, that was going to change.

**Gobber eyes him sympathetically. Hiccup turns and goes through the front door. And straight out the back door. He hurries off into the woods, determined.**

Hiccup groaned inwardly, knowing what scene came next, while Stoick thought ruefully, _He was never going to stay inside._


	3. Chapter 3

**INT. GREAT HALL - DAY  
>A noisy din of PROTESTING VOICES leads to...<strong>  
><strong>STOICK, glowering in the firelight. Surrounded by his men.<strong>

**STOICK ****_Either we finish them or they'll finish us! It's the only way we'll be rid of them! If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave. They'll find another home._**

Hiccup rolled his eyes at his father's words. If the Vikings found the nest and tried to attack it, they'd be massacred.

**He sinks his blade into a... LARGE NAUTICAL MAP, spread out on the table... the blade pierces the middle of an uncharted corner, swirling with painted sea monsters and dragons. **

** STOICK (CONT'D) (DECIDEDLY) ****_One more search. Before the ice sets in._**

** VIKING ****_Those ships never come back._**

** STOICK (MATTER-OF-FACT) _We're Vikings. It's an occupational hazard. Now who's with me?_ **

**Stoick throws up his fist. No one follows. The crowds shifts in restless silence. Head scratches. Eyes averted. **

** VIKING (FEEBLE) ****_Today's not good for me._**

** VIKING (CONT'D) (EQUALLY FEEBLE) ****_I've gotta do my axe returns._**

** STOICK **_**Alright. Those who stay will look after Hiccup.**_

**Hands jut into the air, volunteers galore. Enthusiastic murmurs of prep and packing fill the room.**

**PHLEGMA THE FIERCE **_**To the ships!**_

** SPITELOUT ****_I'm with you Stoick!_**

** STOICK (DRY) ****_That's more like it._**

Hiccup huffed, annoyed at the fact that his father used him as incentive to get the villagers to go on the searches. Stoick noticed this and said awkwardly, "Well, it was the only way to get them to go!" Gobber chuckled at this but Hiccup still felt used.

**The Vikings rush for the door, leaving Gobber and Stoick alone. Gobber gulps back the contents of his tankard attachment and scrapes back the bench. **

**GOBBER **_**I'll pack my undies.**_

** STOICK **_**No, I need you to stay and train some new recruits.**_

**GOBBER **_**Oh, perfect. And while I'm busy, Hiccup can cover the stall. Molten steel, razor sharp blades, lots of time to himself...what could possibly go wrong?**_

Immediately, Astrid muttered, "_Lots _of things..." Hiccup mock scowled at the insinuation while Snotlout mimicked Hiccup burning his hand off and screaming like a little girl.

**Stoick sinks onto the bench beside Gobber, his brow burdened. **

** STOICK ****_What am I going to do with him Gobber?_**

** GOBBER **_**Put him in training with the others.**_

Hiccup sat up straighter. _Gobber _had made the suggestion to put him in dragon training? Hiccup wasn't sure whether to feel gratitude or annoyance towards the blacksmith because even though he didn't want to kill dragons anymore, it was still nice that Gobber had taken his desires into consideration and had prompted his father to give him an opportunity that he otherwise probably wouldn't have gotten.

** STOICK **_**No, I'm serious.**_

** GOBBER **_**So am I.**_

**Stoick turns to him, glaring.**

** STOICK ****_He'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage._**

"That's not true!" Hiccup exclaimed indignantly, miffed that Stoick had that much mistrust in him.

"Well, I realize that now..." Stoick trailed off. Of course he was still quite angry that Hiccup had betrayed his own village by not trying to kill the Nightmare, but the chief had to admit that he was impressed that tiny Hiccup had even survived the first day of training.

** GOBBER ** **_Oh, you don't know that._ **

** STOICK _I do know that, actually._ **

** GOBBER _No, you don't._ **

**STOICK _No, actually I do._ **

** GOBBER _No you don't!_ **

** STOICK _Listen! You know what he's like. From the time he could crawl he's been...different. He doesn't listen._ _Has the attention span of a sparrow. I take him fishing and he goes hunting for... for trolls._ **

**GOBBER (DEFENSIVE) _Trolls exist! They steal your socks._ (DARKLY) _But only the left ones. What's with that?_ **

Everyone laughed except for Gobber, who said with confidence, "They _do _exist. I'm sure of it."

**STOICK_ When I was a boy..._ **

** GOBBER (GRUMBLING) _Oh here we go._ **

Hiccup and the other teens had to hold back chuckles and grins at Gobber's comments. Meanwhile, Stoick looked accusingly at his best friend, who cowered in his seat and mumbled, "Well, you _do _have a tendency to go on a bit, Stoick..."

** STOICK _My father told me to bang my head against a rock and I did it. I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him. And you know what happened?_**

** GOBBER _You got a headache._ **

** STOICK _That rock split in two. It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas! Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become._ (BEAT) _Hiccup is not that boy._ **

The aforementioned teen sighed heavily. Would he _ever _make his dad proud? It wasn't his fault that he wasn't as _strong, _or as _muscular_, as the other teens, was it?

Meanwhile, Stoick felt a twinge of guilt at his own words. He realized now that he hadn't really paid a lot of attention to his son while he grew up because he was still grieving for Hiccup's mother and Hiccup reminded him of his wife so much.

** GOBBER _You can't stop him, Stoick. You can only prepare him._ (BEAT) _Look, I know it seems hopeless. But the truth is you won't always be around to protect him. He's going to get out there again. He's probably out there now._ **

**ON STOICK, as Gobber's words hit their mark.**

Hiccup winced, guessing what the next scene would be and hunkering down lower in his chair in anticipation.

** EXT. WOODS - DAY ON AN OPEN NOTEBOOK **

**A drawn map of the island, covered in X's. Hiccup looks up from it and peeks over a gorge, expectantly. Sees nothing. He adds another 'X' to the page, then scratches his pencil over the whole map in frustration. He snaps the book closed and pockets it.**

"Geez, what did the book ever do to you?" Astrid teased Hiccup, nudging him in the ribs. Hiccup grumbled at her to shut up, to which she replied, "No," very delightedly.

** HICCUP _Uggh, the gods hate me. Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon._ **

At his complaint, the villagers sat up straighter in their seats, realizing they were going to see the chief's son, the village embarrassment, actually _kill _a dragon. Hiccup curled his upper lip in disgust at them, but they failed to notice.

**Hiccup WHACKS a low-hanging branch. It SNAPS back at him, hitting him in the face. **

Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut burst out laughing. "Only _you _could make a perfectly harmless tree dangerous, Useless!" Snotlout cried out through tears of laughter while pointing at his cousin. Hiccup just tried to ignore them.

**He looks up to see a snapped tree trunk. His eyes follow it to a long trench of up-turned earth. **

Everyone except Hiccup and Astrid held their breath. They knew what the up-turned dirt meant. Something big and heavy had crashed through the undergrowth and must have skidded through the earth and over the hill. Hiccup covered his face in his hands while Astrid held his hand tightly, trying to comfort him.

**He follows it to a downed, black dragon, its body and tail tangled in a bola. It appears dead. Hiccup approaches, beaming.**

Stoick cheered, "THAT'S MY BOY!" again and hugged Hiccup close to him, obviously nearly suffocating him. Gobber beamed proudly at his apprentice and Snotlout looked sullen, wondering how his puny cousin could take down the most feared dragon in the Barbaric Archipelago. Hiccup just kept his head down, not able to meet his very proud father's eyes because he knew that in a few minutes they joy and pride in them would be replaced by anger and disappointment yet again.

** HICCUP (CONT'D) (IN SHOCK) _Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This fixes everything._ (ELATED) _Yes!_ **

**He strikes a victory pose, planting his foot on the fallen Night Fury. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _I have brought down this mighty beast!_ **

**It suddenly shifts.**

The villagers froze at the movement from the apparently alive dragon. It was still alive when Hiccup found it? Then Hiccup had killed it!

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _Whoa!_ **

**Hiccup springs back, terrified. He turns his blade on it. Rattled, Hiccup creeps along the length of the weak, wounded dragon, dagger poised to strike. As he reaches the head, Hiccup finds the Night Fury staring coldly at him. **

Stoick, Gobber and the teens (minus Astrid and Hiccup) sucked in their breaths, transfixed. Those eyes... they were so intense, so full of emotion. _But that's crazy! _they thought. _Dragons are mindless killing machines. They don't have emotions._

**Hiccup tries to look away, but he's drawn back to its unnerving, unflinching stare. With the dragon safety tangled in the ropes, Hiccup jabs with his dagger, puffing himself up with false bravado. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) _I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking._ (BEAT) _I am a VIKING!_ **

**Hiccup raises the dagger, determined to prove his Viking- ness. The dragon's labored breathing breaks Hiccup's clenched concentration. He opens an eye, uncertainty leaking through. The dragon holds the stare. Something profound is exchanged. Finally, the Night Fury closes its eye and lowers its head, resigned to its fate. Hiccup tries to go through with it, holding the dagger aloft... fighting himself... until finally lowering it with a frustrated sigh. He looks over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds. **

** HICCUP (CONT'D) (muttered, ashamed) _I did this._ **

Everyone froze, completely shocked. _Hiccup didn't kill the dragon? _Hiccup slunk down in his seat even more, trying to make himself invisible.

**He turns to leave. Pauses. And glances back at the dragon, chest heaving. Hiccup GRUMBLES. He checks over his shoulder to ensure that no one is watching... then hurries back to cut the ropes. The Night Fury's eye shoots open. With the dragon watching his every move, Hiccup hurriedly saws through the bola ropes. **

Gasps could be heard around the room. Not only was the heir seemingly unable to kill a dragon, but now he was _letting one go free?_ Stoick's expression hardened into one of pure fury.

**As the last rope falls free, the Night Fury suddenly POUNCES! In a blur, the dragon is upon him, pinning Hiccup down, grazing his neck. Looking like it's about to kill him. **

For a moment, Stoick's anger is quickly replaced by fear and worry for his son's life. A _Night Fury _had Hiccup pinned to the ground in its claws! Even though Hiccup must have obviously survived the encounter since he was sitting next to him, Stoick still found his heart threatening to throw itself out of his chest with worry and panic for his only son.

**Hiccup is paralyzed. The dragon's breath ruffles his hair. Hiccup opens his eyes to find the Night Fury's wolf-like stare boring into him. The exchange is intense, profound. The dragon draws a deep breath, as though it's about to torch him, then lets out an ear-piercing scream instead. It turns and takes flight, flapping violently through the canopy of trees. It bashes against a nearby mountain side, recovers, and drops out of view some distance away. Winded, Hiccup struggles to his feet, staggers a few steps, collapses to his knees, and faints.**

Hiccup cringed and waited for the explosion after the shocked silence. And sure enough, it came.

"HICCUP HADDOCK HORRENDOUS THE THIRD!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**

**I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in so long, but here's an extra long chapter to make up for it! I'll try to update** **more often now. **

* * *

><p>Stoick shot out of his chair, he was that mad. Hiccup cringed and cowered down in his seat, waiting for the berating to begin. And begin it did.<p>

"ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU COULD'VE KILLED THAT BEAST BY YOUR OWN HAND, BUT YOU _SET IT FREE? _WHAT KIND OF VIKING ARE YOU?" Stoick screamed in rage. Hiccup may have been afraid and dreading his father's words before, but now he was just livid.

"BEAST? _BEAST? _THEY ARE _NOT _BEASTS! THEY HAVE FEELINGS JUST LIKE US! THEY AREN'T MINDLESS KILLING MACHINES, DAD!" This last word Hiccup spat out bitterly, for the large man towering over him right now had never seemed like a true father to him. Everyone, even Astrid, was taken aback for a moment after Hiccup's unexpected and unusual outburst, but a second later, Stoick had regained his fire.

"DRAGONS DO NOT HAVE _FEELINGS, _HICCUP! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY VIKINGS THEY'VE KILLED? YOU KNOW WHAT, IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO FREE A BEAST THAT WOULD GLADLY KILL US ALL, THEN YOU'RE NO SON OF MINE, LEAST OF ALL A VIKING!" At Stoick's last loud exclamation, every other Viking gasped, shocked at the harshness which he treated his son with. Sure, the boy was now a traitor to the tribe, but to go so far as to publicly humiliate him in front of the entire village and even the _dragons, _for Thor's sake, was too far. Hiccup's face just went pale as snow, but he seemed too shocked to say anything.

Disgusted, Stoick got up and went to the other side of the room to sit by himself. No one dared approach the furious chief, who radiated an aura of murderous anger. A few silent, shell-shocked seconds later, everyone turned back to the movie, which had paused while Hiccup and Stoick were arguing. No adult looked at Hiccup out of disgust, except for Gobber, who looked at him with sympathy. Surprisingly, Gobber didn't even seem to mind that Hiccup had saved the life of the most feared dragon in the Barbaric Archipelago. The teens glanced at him out of the corner of their eyes when they thought he wasn't looking so no one would be able to tell that they cared enough to check if he was alright after such a reprimand. Astrid squeezed his hand comfortingly, but Hiccup just ignored her.

**INT. STOICK'S HOUSE - CONTINUOUS**

**Hiccup enters to see... STOICK, seated on a thick slice of tree-trunk. He is slouched over the fire-pit, stirring the coals with his axe. Embers waft around his beard.**

**Hiccup tries to sneak past, up the stairs to his room. Stoick seems none the wiser, when...**

**STOICK **_**Hiccup.**_

Despite recent events, the villagers just had to chuckle a little bit at Hiccup's bad luck. At the sound of his voice, Stoick raised his head curiously at the screen.

**HICCUP ****(CAUGHT) **_**Dad. Uh...**_

**Stoick stands, takes a deep breath.**

**HICCUP (CONT'D) **_**I, uh... I have to talk to you, ****Dad.**_

**STOICK **_**I need to speak with you too, son.**_

**Hiccup and Stoick STRAIGHTEN at the same moment.**

**HICCUP STOICK **_**I've decided I don't want to I think it's time you learn ****fight dragons. to fight dragons.**_

**(BEAT) (BEAT) **_**What? What?**_

Everyone but Hiccup and Stoick laughed good-naturedly. Father and son were so alike yet so opposite at the same time! Of course they would change their respective minds at the same time!

**STOICK (CONT'D) **_**You go first.**_

**HICCUP **_**No, you go first.**_

**STOICK **_**Alright. You get your wish. Dragon ****training. You start in the morning.**_

Stoick shook his head at his past self, thinking that he must've been an idiot to let Hiccup into dragon training. The fool wasn't even on the Vikings' side!

**HICCUP (SCRAMBLING) _Oh man, I should've gone first. Uh, 'cause I was thinking, you know we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings, but do we have enough bread-making Vikings, or small home repair Vikings-_**

"Bread-making? Home repair? Really, Hiccup?" teased Astrid, trying to cheer Hiccup up.

"What?" asked Hiccup indignantly, his inner fire returning. "I was put on the spot!" Astrid just laughed along with Gobber.

**STOICK **_**-You'll need this.**_

**Stoick hands Hiccup his axe. Hiccup avoids taking it.**

**HICCUP **_**I don't want to fight dragons.**_

**STOICK **_**Come on. Yes, you do.**_

**HICCUP **_**Rephrase. Dad I can't kill dragons.**_

**STOICK ****But you will kill dragons.**

**HICCUP**_**No, I'm really very extra sure that ****I won't.**_

**STOICK **_**It's time Hiccup.**_

**HICCUP _Can you not hear me?_**

**STOICK **_**This is serious son!**_

The villagers watch the scene, transfixed. Was this how Stoick treated his son at home? He didn't even give him a chance to speak! Then again, wasn't that how they sort of treated Hiccup? Thinking back, they'd only spoken to him harshly and generally shunned him because Stoick, their Chief, did so. They had unconsciously followed their leader's example.

**Stoick forces the axe into Hiccup's hands. Its weight drags ****him down. He looks up to see Stoick under-lit with firelight.**

**STOICK (CONT'D) **_**When you carry this axe... you ****carry all of us with you. Which ****means you walk like us. You talk ****like us. You think like us. No more ****of...**_

**(GESTURING NON- ****specifically at Hiccup) **_**... this.**_

Stoick felt a twinge, just a _twinge, _of guiltat his condescending way of addressing Hiccup's physique, while Hiccup sighed, thinking his father would never change, no matter how much Hiccup hoped he would.

**HICCUP **_**You just gestured to all of me.**_

**STOICK **_**Deal?**_

**HICCUP **_**This conversation is feeling very ****one-sided.**_

**STOICK **_**DEAL?!**_

**Hiccup glances at the axe in his hands. It's a no-win ****argument.**

**HICCUP ****(RESIGNED) **_**Deal.**_

Again, the Vikings were surprised and a little saddened at how poorly treated Hiccup was at home. He wasn't even given a choice in the matter!

**Satisfied, Stoick grabs his helmet and duffel bag... and ****heads for the door.**

**STOICK **_**Good. Train hard. I'll be back. ****Probably.**_

**HICCUP **_**And I'll be here. Maybe.**_

**Stoick heads out the door, leaving Hiccup holding the axe.**

**EXT. TRAINING GROUNDS - DAY**

**Gobber raises a massive iron gate at the entrance of a vast ****stone arena.**

**GOBBER **_**Welcome to dragon training!**_

**The recruits file through the gate, and out onto the arena ****floor. They take it in like gladiators entering the ****colosseum. The walls are covered in scorched silhouettes of ****blasted Vikings. It's a grim yet awe-inspiring place.**

**ASTRID **_**No turning back.**_

**TUFFNUT **_**I hope I get some serious burns.**_

**RUFFNUT **_**I'm hoping for some mauling, like ****on my shoulder or lower back.**_

**ASTRID **_**Yeah, it's only fun if you get a ****scar out of it.**_

**HICCUP (O.S.) **_**Yeah, no kidding, right? Pain. Love ****it.**_

Stoick raised his head thoughtfully yet again at the screen when he heard his son's sarcastic comment. Hiccup was never like that...was he?

**The recruits turn to see Hiccup behind them. Groans all ****around.**

**TUFFNUT **_**Oh great. Who let him in?**_

Once again, Hiccup's face fell at the simple yet mean question while Tuffnut felt a little bit guilty at hearing himself being harsh to Hiccup.

**GOBBER **_**Let's get started! The recruit who ****does best will win the honor of ****killing his first dragon in front ****of the entire village.**_

Both Hiccup and Astrid thought, _What honor?_

**SNOTLOUT **_**Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, ****so does that disqualify him or...?**_

**The recruits LAUGH and chatter in the background.**

Normally Hiccup would've felt the tiniest bit proud that he'd one-upped Snotlout by doing something better than him for once, but after the argument with his father, his heart just wasn't in it. Meanwhile, Snotlout at least had the good grace to look ashamed and embarrassed at the irony and meanness of his comment.

**TUFFNUT **_**Can I transfer to the class with ****the cool Vikings?**_

**Gobber throws a supportive arm around Hiccup and ushers him ****along.**

**GOBBER ****(cheery, in confidence) **_**Don't worry. You're small and ****you're weak. That'll make you less ****of a target. They'll see you as ****sick or insane and go after the ****more Viking-like teens instead.**_

Astrid's mouth fell open along with dozens of other Vikings' mouths. "What kind of pep talk is _that_, Gobber?" she asked the blacksmith indignantly.

Gobber winced at said quietly, "Yeah, not really my best advice, is it?"

"I should think not!" Astrid huffed, putting an arm around Hiccup's narrow shoulders. Hiccup still ignored her, not even bothering to look at the screen. He was still despondent and actually a bit depressed after the argument with his father.

**GOBBER sticks him in line with the others and continues on ****toward five massive reinforced doors. Terrible ROARS and ****BELLOWS issue from within.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) **_**Behind these doors are just a few ****of the many species you will learn ****to fight.**_

**Fishlegs bounces and giggles with excitement, barely able to ****contain himself.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) **_**The Deadly Nadder.**_

**FISHLEGS ****(under his breath) **_**Speed eight. Armor sixteen.**_

**GOBBER **_**The Hideous Zippleback.**_

**FISHLEGS **_**Plus eleven stealth. Times two.**_

**GOBBER **_**The Monstrous Nightmare.**_

**FISHLEGS **_**Firepower fifteen.**_

The villagers chuckled at Fishlegs' commentary on the skills of the various dragon species. He sure knew a lot about them!

**GOBBER **_**The Terrible Terror.**_

**FISHLEGS **_**Attack eight. Venom twelve.**_

**GOBBER **_**CAN YOU STOP THAT?! **_**(BEAT) **_**And...the Gronckle.**_

**FISHLEGS ****(quietly; to himself) **_**Jaw strength, eight.**_

This proved to be enough to tug the corners of Hiccup's mouth a little bit, but the twitch was only there for a second. Although, Fishlegs had caught sight of Hiccup's small smile and felt immensely proud that he had cheered him up.

**Gobber pulls a lever, raising the cross beam on the last of ****the doors.**

**SNOTLOUT **_**Whoa, wait! Aren't you gonna teach ****us first!?**_

**GOBBER **_**I believe in learning on the job.**_

Most of the adults in the room snickered, remembering their days of dragons training with a Viking who had been a lot like Gobber.

**BAM! A GRONCKLE thunders out of its cave, charging into the ****ring like an irate rhino. ****The recruits scramble in every direction. Except for Ruffnut ****and Tuffnut who rush toward it, like pumped-up rodeo clowns.**

At the _bam! _of the Gronckle bursting our of it's cage, Stoick looked up suddenly, wondering how Hiccup had survived his first dragon training session.

**GOBBER (CONT'D) **_**Today is about survival. If you get ****blasted, you're dead. Quick, what's ****the first thing you're going to ****need?**_

**HICCUP **_**A doctor?**_

**FISHLEGS **_**Plus five speed?**_

**ASTRID **_**A shield.**_

**GOBBER **_**Shields. Go.**_

**The recruits scramble for shields, finding them scattered ****around the ring.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) **_**Your most important piece of ****equipment is your shield. If you ****must make a choice between a sword ****or a shield, take the shield.**_

**Hiccup STRUGGLES to lift his. Gobber helps him and sends him ****running. ****Ruff and Tuff stand amidst a dozen shields. But only one has ****a skull painted on it. They both grab it.**

**TUFFNUT **_**Get your hands off my shield!**_

**RUFFNUT **_**There are like a million shields!**_

**TUFFNUT **_**Take that one, it has a flower on ****it. Girls like flowers.**_

**Ruffnut uses the shield to BASH Tuffnut in the face. He ****doesn't let go.**

**RUFFNUT **_**Ooops, now this one has blood on ****it.**_

**The Gronckle takes aim at the distracted twins. Blam! The ****shield is blasted out of both of their hands. Tuff and Ruff ****SPIN like tops and go down.**

The twins' parents sighed with annoyance. Why couldn't they get along, at least while they were in danger?

**GOBBER **_**Tuffnut, Ruffnut, you're out!**_

**TUFFNUT ****(DAZED) **_**What?!**_

**RUFFNUT ****(CONFUSED) **_**What?!**_

**The Gronckle scoops up a pile of rocks and SWALLOWS them ****back. The teens gather on the far side of the ring.**

**GOBBER ****T_hose shields are good for another _**_**thing. Noise. Make lots of it to ****throw off a dragon's aim.**_

**The kids scoop up weapons and begin hammering on their ****shields. The Gronckle shakes its head at the clatter.**

**GRONCKLE'S POV - the teens targets become blurry and ****scrambled. It's working.**

The Vikings leaned forward curiously at seeing from a dragons' perspective. In the back of the room, the dragons were shaking their heads and flicking their ears at the disturbing racket from the movie.

**GOBBER (CONT'D) **_**All dragons have a limited number ****of shots. How many does a Gronckle ****have?**_

**SNOTLOUT **_**Five!**_

**FISHLEGS **_**No, six.**_

**GOBBER **_**Correct, six. That's one for each ****of you!**_

**FISHLEGS **_**I really don't think my parents would****-**_

**BAM! Fishlegs has his shield blasted away.**

**GOBBER **_**Fishlegs, out.**_

Fishlegs' parents sighed as well in annoyance, but because their son always had his nose in book and shied away from confrontation.

**Gobber spots Hiccup hiding from the Gronckle's molten slugs.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) **_**Hiccup, get in there!**_

**ON ASTRID bouncing on her heels, ready to dodge a blast. ****Snotlout appears, trying to hit on her.**

**SNOTLOUT **_**So anyway I'm moving into my ****parents' basement. You should come ****by sometime to work out. You look ****like you work out-**_

**She cartwheels out of the way, allowing a shot to shoot past ****her and hit Snotlout's shield. He's blasted onto his back.**

**GOBBER **_**Snotlout! You're done!**_

Everyone but Stoick (who was too preoccupied with tracking his son's movements in the arena), Astrid (who was glaring at Snotlout) and Snotlout himeself (who was steadfastly avoiding Astrid's glare) grinned and laughed at the teen's attempts to court Astrid. Even Hiccup cracked a smile.

**Astrid ROLLS to a stop beside Hiccup, who stirs awkwardly, ****trying to look cool.**

**HICCUP ****(VOICE BREAKING) ****So, I guess it's just you and me ****huh?**

**ASTRID **_**No. Just you.**_

Astrid cringed at her shortness with Hiccup, who she could see now was only trying to be nice.

**Astrid ROLLS away. A split-second later a lava slug knocks ****Hiccup's shield clear off of his arm. Hiccup is exposed.**

**GOBBER **_**One shot left!**_

**Hiccup panics and chases after his shield as it rolls across ****the ring. ****The sudden movement sends the Gronckle chasing after him, ****leaving Astrid in the clear.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ****(WORRIED) **_**Hiccup!**_

The villagers, especially Stoick, tense and suck in their breath as one. Even though they know that their heir is still here, alive and well, next to them, they still worry for Hiccup's life.

**The Gronckle drives straight toward Hiccup, pinning him ****against the wall. It opens its mouth and cocks its tail, ****ready to fire point-blank. **

Astrid tightened her death grip on poor Hiccup's hand, much to his discomfort. Stoick was still riveted to the screen.

**Gobber lunges in and hooks the Gronckle's mouth at the last ****second, causing its head to ****jerk back and fire against the ****stone wall above Hiccup's head.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ****(rattled, but masking it) **_**And that's six!**_

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Stoick magically went back to being grumpy and disgusted.

**Gobber wrestles the irate Gronckle back into his pen.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) **_**Go back to bed, ya overgrown ****sausage! You'll get another chance, ****don't you worry.**_

**Slam! Lock. Gobber turns to the recruits.**

**GOBBER (CONT'D) ****_Remember... a dragon will always_, ****(with a stern look to ****HICCUP) **_**always go for the kill.**_

**He hoists Hiccup to his feet and walks off. Hiccup looks ****overhead to see a steaming pit in the solid stone wall.**

The villagers were amazed at how narrowly Hiccup avoided a certain death, but they were also struck by a sudden thought: if dragons always go for the kill, then why didn't the Night Fury do so when it had Hiccup literally in it's claws?


End file.
